PREDICTIVE MODELS TO ASSESS THERMAL AND EVAPORATIVE RESISTANCES OF INNOVATIVE THERMAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

Abstract

Protection and comfort are critical considerations in the development of thermal protective clothing (TPC), however, achieving optimal performance while maintaining worker comfort remains a significant challenge. For TPC, thermal and evaporative resistance are key properties closely linked to comfort perception and typically assessed using specialized and expensive equipment, such as thermal manikins. Straightforward method to quantify comfort is still needed. In this study, predictive models of varying complexity were developed to address this gap. These models range from simple applications of electrical circuit theorems to numerical analyses employing bi- and tri-dimensional approaches. A case study featuring an original firefighting vest will be presented, highlighting the effect of different proprieties, dimensions, and configurations of the integrated materials on the overall proprieties. The circuit theorem provided reasonably accurate estimations of the vest's properties when heat and mass transfer were predominantly unidirectional. More advanced numerical analyses are required to account for bi- and tri-dimensional effects.